Lava Hot Springs closed after falling rocks cause damage

LAVA HOT SPRINGS — There was a scare for people soaking in the hot pools Wednesday when several boulders tumbled onto the facility’s grounds.

It happened around 2:30 p.m., according to Lava Hot Springs administrative assistant Destiny Egley. She said the boulders came loose after a truck was driving eastbound on Highway 30. The boulders didn’t fall off the mountain above the highway, instead, they fell from the road inside the hot pool facility. They landed on cement and grass.

Egley said the Idaho Transportation Department is responsible for the wall that the boulders fell from.

“It made a really loud noise,” she said. “My boss and I were looking at each other, like, ‘What was that?’ And within seconds, we heard another boom. We looked out and saw a cloud of dust and several boulders had come down from the wall.”

They immediately called ITD to clean it up and asked those who were in the water to get out as dirt and debris went into the pools.

There were no injuries, but a pump for one of the pools was crushed, Egley said. The full extent of the damage is unknown.

“Those rocks there, the algae reef is really porous,” she said. “We’ve been talking to ITD now for over a year trying to get them to do something about this wall.”

The pools are currently drained. The facility closed early Wednesday and remains closed Thursday as the mess gets cleaned up. Egley said they are hoping to reopen soon.

Keep an eye on their website for more information.